October 16, 2004
PITY POOR AL:
Support wanes for Colo. initiative to split electors (Klaus Marre, 10/13/04, The Hill)
A Colorado initiative that would split the state’s electoral vote is losing momentum as Democratic senatorial candidate and state Attorney General Ken Salazar said he opposes the controversial measure and a new poll shows declining support for it.Posted by Orrin Judd at October 16, 2004 8:03 PMColorado Republican Party Chairman Ted Halaby predicted that Salazar’s opposition will help defeat Amendment 36, which would award the state’s electors in proportion to the popular vote each presidential candidate receives.
Opponents of the amendment say it is a partisan plan aimed at taking electoral votes away from President Bush, while its supporters say it would allow the votes of all Coloradoans to have an impact on the presidential election. Had it been in place in 2000, Al Gore would have become president.
So I'm curious. If Colorado was proposing the Maine/Nebraska method of apportionment, by district with the state-wide winner getting the 2 senator allocation, what would the spilt possibly be? Is this a case where the Dems got greedy, not willing to settle for a 2-7 or 3-6 split and wanted to go for 4 or 5 instead? (Or worse, the Boulder district going for Nader.)
Because with this proposal, except in a LBJ, Nixon or Reagan-type landslide, you are going to get a 5-4 split almost every time.
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at October 16, 2004 11:32 PM